The 40 Tulane students who found temporary refuge at Tufts last semester have returned to their home turf.
In conversations with other Tulane students returning from the fall semester at other schools, senior Jennifer Near - who attended Tufts in the fall - said that almost all of them declared that "nothing compares to Tulane."
Near said the student body seems to be in high spirits despite missing a semester at Tulane.
"Everyone is happy to be back," she said. "It's unbelievable. So many people have been through so much."
Students returned to a campus relatively undamaged by Katrina, but much of New Orleans is a different matter.
"The Tulane campus is in great shape," said freshman Johanna Miller, who spent the fall at Tufts. "There is some minor damage still from the storm, but most of the construction was taking place before the storm - they're building a new campus center."
"Downtown and the lakeside districts are still pretty empty, and the damage there is really extensive," Miller added. "But in all honesty, we're pretty insular up here, so I never really see that."
The city of New Orleans has changed far more than Tulane has, Near said. "Tulane itself isn't very different," she said. "The city itself is quite different. The little things you take for granted, like renting a movie or getting late-night food, just aren't possible."
Economic instability due to hurricane damage has left its mark on the institution, however. Tulane President Scott Cowen's renewal plan calls for combining Newcomb College and Tulane College - the women's and men's colleges, respectively - along with three other undergraduate schools starting next year.
Together, all of the institutions will form one umbrella undergraduate university.
In addition to changing the infrastructure of the undergraduate system, Cowen decided to eliminate 80 percent of engineering majors for financial reasons. This decision led to a sharp outcry from students and alumni, who say that Tulane's priorities are not in sync with the needs of the students.
Another argument against cutting engineering programs is that more engineers are hired out of Louisiana than any other state, and that rebuilding New Orleans will require engineering skills that Tulane students can provide both now and in the future.
Miller added that while most students are enjoying Tulane, not all are planning to return next year.
"Tulane did cut some majors, so there are kids that are looking to transfer," she said. "And of course there are people, especially freshman, who were really happy at the schools they attended first semester and want to go back in the fall."
Tulane has also planned to get rid of several varsity athletic programs for financial reasons, forcing many athletes to contemplate transferring.
The campus has witnessed other controversy as well: National Guard troops are being housed on the Tulane campus and are patrolling the school grounds in full regalia, carrying weapons students have never seen campus police holding. A Feb. 1 editorial in the Tulane Hullabaloo, Tulane's weekly newspaper, raised the still-unresolved issue of who is in charge, the troops or the campus police.
Miller said her time at Tufts was well-spent and enriching. "I had a really great time at Tufts," she said. "The people and the teachers were so welcoming and kind. I was especially lucky to have Dean [of Student Services Paul] Stanton as my advisor. He really helped with all the adjustments I had to make. I think he's a huge asset to the university."
Near added that Tufts' faculty provides a top-notch academic environment for students and offers what faculty at other schools cannot. "Politically speaking, there are some very important people here on campus to take classes from," she said.
Miller echoed Near's sentiments about unique classes at Tufts. "It was really great that I was able to take Intro to International Relations at Tufts, because IR is one of Tufts' hallmarks," she said.
While Tufts has some classes that Tulane does not, Near said that Tufts was not the optimal place for her major in communications. She now carries extra-credit hours at Tulane so that she can graduate in the spring.
Freshman Lauren Walzer said that although she now attends Tulane, she enjoyed her experience at Tufts so much that she wanted to stay there.
"I didn't want to leave," Walzer said. "I definitely look at my Tufts experience as positive. I had a really good time."
Miller said she and the other Tulane students at Tufts left the University feeling grateful for their experiences.
"I think the most important thing is that all the Tulane students who were at Tufts for the semester are really thankful that the school was not only able to help them out during such a difficult time, but also that everyone was so kind and generous," she said.
